Impressive Porto power past Rapid

FC Porto sent out a warning to their Group L rivals by easing to a 3-0 victory against SK Rapid Wien at the Estádio do Dragão.

Having only had Rolando's 26th-minute opener to show for their first-half efforts, Porto upped the tempo after the break and deservedly doubled their lead through Falcao's instinctive finish in the 65th. Two became three, and in some style, 12 minutes later when Rúben Micael drilled one in from outside the box to leave the Portuguese club at the section summit.

Rolando's goal was the obvious highlight of an opening 45 minutes lacking clear-cut chances. Jorge Fucile got the move going by dinking a pass into the box which Maicon inadvertently skewed to Cristián Rodríguez when attempting a volley. The No10 somehow wriggled through two defenders close to the penalty spot and the ball ran loose to Rolando who turned the it in with the outside of his boot as Raimund Hedl dived at his feet.

The second was also a tidy finish as Falcao beat Hedl with a side-footed shot after the goalkeeper had kept out Maicon's header from Hulk's corner. However, it was Rúben Micael who really got the Dragão crowd roaring when he latched on to Cristián Rodríguez's cushioned pass and fizzed the ball into the top corner from outside the box.

Substitute Fernando Belluschi almost scored a stunner of his own soon after, although this time the bar came to Rapid's rescue.